A collection of recipes and stories, wine tastings and the occasional restaurant review.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Ribs and Kraut

A few weeks ago I shared with you my grandmother's German Potato Dumplings. Those were almost always served with Ribs & Sauerkraut. Now as a kid I wasn't having the kraut. That stuff would get scraped well to the side of my plate and sit there staring at me.

As a teen, I had it a few times, but never more than a bite or two. It wasn't until I moved to DC when I got a taste for it again. I understand the reluctance of having it or trying it...it is a pickled/fermentated cabbage...what's good about that right? Well, if you're afraid of the kraut, I think this application might be one to try.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over high heat and carefully add the ribs (which have been seasoned with salt/pepper). Give them a few minutes on each side until quickly seared. Remove to a plate.

Mmmm!

Prepped.

In the hot skillet, add the onions and saute for a few minutes, just until they become translucent. Add the caraway and allspice berries. Toss in the apples and stir together. Add the apple juice and deglaze the pan. Turn off the heat and prepare the slow cooker.

Apples and Onions!

Drain and rinse the kraut.

Place about 1/2 of it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add 1/2 of the onion/apple mixture. Add the ribs. Add the remaining onion/apple mixture. Cover with the remaining kraut. Add all the cooking liquid from the apple/onion blend. Cover and cook in the slower cooker for:

6-7 hours on lowor3-3 1/2 hours on high

Done.

Delish! We each had seconds! I wanted to have some potatoes and maybe something in the green veg family, but I forgot to get that stuff.

Now, why should this be the kraut you try...there is no bitterness to it. Just the slightly tang from the cider vinegar, but the apples and the juice really sweeten it all up! Divine!!!!

2 comments:

Mmmmmm, kraut. I first developed a taste for it on reuben sandwiches, then ate lots of it when I studied abroad in Germany. I lost it for a while, but thanks to you guys I've rediscovered the love at Cafe Berlin! :-)

Last night, at a restaurant in Bloomington, I had sauteed red cabbage as a side to a delicious pork roast. It was just sauteed in olive oil and garlic, I think, so very mild but with a gorgeous purple color.